I've been reading Jesus' Kingdom Manifesto in Matthew 5-7 – most famously known as the Sermon on the Mount – in the Message.
Fresh language and expression. It sets our kingdom imaginations running. I'm challenged by Jesus' costly but worthwhile invitation to step into his way of life.
Here are some excerpts from Matthew seven:
"These
words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life,
homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are
foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words
into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on
solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but
nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But
if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your
life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy
beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like
a house of cards."